Increasing Year-Round Relevancy for Local Businesses

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Make the Season Last All Year Long with Ottawa SEO

How often do you hear of someone needing a patio built during the winter months? It’s not very common and unfortunately, many local, seasonal businesses lose online relevancy during their off-seasons. This is especially the case in Ottawa, where we both benefit, and are burdened by, all four seasons. However, just because the output of product is low, doesn’t mean that digital traffic has to be. Investing in SEO in Ottawa can keep seasonal businesses relevant year-round if done properly. Below are just three of the many ways that local companies can keep their digital boat afloat during the worst sailing seasons.

1. Plan Ahead

There are many ski hills surrounding the Ottawa Valley that run optimally four months a year. Despite their seasonal limitations, these ski hills have found success by offering other services for the eight months that lack snow. One of these hills operates as a mountain biking trail and zip lining experience during their off season, and another is hosting one of the area’s first water parks.

Through the successful use of SEO in Ottawa (along with a great marketing campaign), these ski hills are able to attract digital traffic by successfully placing advertisements on travel websites, blogs, and social media; taking Ottawa’s reputation for tourism and using it to their advantage. These ski hills also offer coupons and special web offers for customers purchasing their tickets online. Lastly, not only are they able to generate hype from tourists, but from locals as well, through web exclusive “early bird” group ratings on season passes for the upcoming ski season.

2. Website Optimization

Websites need to be informative, easy-to-navigate and ranking well in the search engine results pages (SERPs) in order to be effective. Simply relying on pages and local listings to inform and attract customers will keep a business about as relevant as a Spider-Man costume the week after Halloween.

It is vital that all business information, including contact info–phone number, e-mail address, and location, be up to date, concise, and easily accessible from anywhere on the website. Furthermore, eliminating irrelevant information is just as important as updating it.

Lastly, high quality photos and videos are important tools when it comes to website optimization. Having only text descriptions of what a local company does or sells won’t cut it in today’s “see first, read later” culture. Adding pictures of the product or videos of a service being performed can heavily increase interest and perhaps offer a better explanation of what the local company can provide.

3. Social Media and Mobile Application Use

Knowing how to effectively use social media and mobile apps is key during the off season. Local businesses can regularly share updates and promotions through social sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, for example, and can help build word of mouth, transforming passive clients into promoters of your business. For example, Ottawa-based contractors can upload pictures of their finished projects during the off season to Instagram and Facebook, keeping their clients’ interests piqued, and even providing ideas for future projects with that contractor. Additionally, they can add geotags to their posts to enhance their Ottawa SEO even further.

If you’re a local business looking for ways to remain relevant during your off season, it’s recommended that you contact an Ottawa SEO company today.